TRENTON
– Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa
announced today that Plumbers and Pipefitters
Local Union No. 9 has agreed to adopt formal
anti-discrimination policies and have its
members undergo anti-discrimination training
to resolve allegations it removed an African-American
shop steward from his position because of
race.

In
addition to the policy and training reforms,
the union already has paid the Division
on Civil Rights $25,000 to settle the State’s
complaint that Plumbers and Pipefitters
discriminated against shop steward Jon B.
Stokes by replacing him with a white shop
steward after Stokes had been on the job
for less than half-a-year.

Under
terms of the settlement, Plumbers and Pipefitters
must create and distribute to its membership
clear policies banning discrimination and
harassment, and establish internal procedures
for handling discrimination complaints.
The union also must have its leadership
personnel – including top officers,
business agents and executive board members,
as well as any member working in the field
as a foreman or shop steward – undergo
in-person training in state and federal
civil rights law.

Under
a Consent Order filed in state Superior
Court, Plumbers and Pipefitters makes no
admission of wrong-doing. Stokes’
own discrimination lawsuit against the union
remains pending.

“This
is an important settlement beyond mere dollars,”
said Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa.
“This agreement will result in creation
of formal anti-discrimination and anti-harassment
policies by the union, as well as civil
rights training for its top executives and
job site supervisors. Our commitment is
to ensure equality in every workplace, and
the best way to accomplish it is through
awareness and understanding.”

“This
is a fair resolution of some troubling allegations,”
said Division on Civil Rights Director Craig
Sashihara. “It is vital that all employers
strive to create a healthy workplace climate,
and that every employee -- from the home
office to the job site -- knows and understands
the law.”

Stokes, of Franklin Township, Gloucester
County, was removed from his position as
a shop steward in June 2008 after working
in that role for five months at a construction
site at Duck Island in Trenton. Stokes was
immediately replaced by a white union member
who had been on the same job site for approximately
two months.

A
union business agent told Division investigators
that Stokes was removed because of complaints
about his performance from boiler makers
“here and there” who felt he
was not quick enough to respond when they
asked for materials. However, the workers
who’d ostensibly complained were not
identified. And Stokes told investigators
he’d never been advised, prior to
his dismissal as a shop steward, that there
were any complaints about him.

A Finding of Probable Cause issued by the
Division in 2009 determined that Stokes
had presented union leaders with information
about racism playing a role in his removal,
but the matter was never properly investigated.
The Finding of Probable Cause also noted
that the Manalapan-based Plumbers and Pipefitters
had no written policies banning racial or
other bias-based discrimination, and lacked
any written procedures for reporting such
conduct.

Deputy
Attorney General Megan Harris, Manager of
Special Investigations Lorraine LeSter and
Investigator Anthony Reeves handled the
Stokes matter for the Division on Civil
Rights.